How to Write an Excel Resume (Step by Step With Examples)

Excel is a part of the Microsoft Office software suite that focuses on spreadsheets. The program allows you to organize data by sorting, analyzing, and making calculations for data analysis.

Excel skills can be important to have in fields including finance, administrative work, engineering, management, and sales and marketing positions. Learn how to showcase your Excel skills in your resume.

What do employers look for in an Excel resume?

You can use your Excel resume to showcase your knowledge and experience when looking for a job. Follow these steps to build a resume that may help you stand out to employers who need employees skilled in working with Excel.

Step 1: Create an Excel resume template.

One of the first things to consider is how you want to structure the presentation of your experience on your resume. Consider these options based on which version works best for your information:

• Chronological resume: A chronological resume presents your information chronologically, starting with your most recent work experience and moving on to your older experience. This can be a good option if you have previous work experience with Excel.

• Functional resume: Use a functional resume format to highlight your particular skills and strengths using Excel. Consider this choice if you don’t have much work experience and want to emphasize your skills using Excel. It can be useful to showcase what you’ve recently learned.

• Combination resume: A combination resume highlights both your skills and experience equally, thereby combining functional and chronological resumes. This format is usually appropriate when you're in your mid-career stage and have gained relevant skills as well as several years of experience.

Step 2: Fill in your basic Excel resume essentials.

Potential employers may contact you after reviewing your resume, so remember to include your contact information. Add your name, email address, and phone number at the top of your resume so they are easy to find. 

Consider adding a link to your LinkedIn page or online portfolio if you have one that showcases any Excel projects you’ve worked on.

Step 3: Add your resume summary.

A resume summary is a quick way to introduce yourself, your experience, and the type of positions you’re looking for. You can also highlight your years of experience working with Excel or the industries you’ve worked in where you’ve applied specific Excel skills.

If you have previous experience, focus on where you’ve worked and what you’ve done. Recent graduates can focus on the skills you’ve picked up in school or the types of places you want to work.

Step 4: Showcase your Excel skills.

Excel can be used in various projects, so it’s a good idea to highlight the different ways you use Excel based on your skill set. Some skills you could showcase include:

• Sorting and filtering data: Excel jobs may require you to work with large amounts of data, so it’s important you understand how to sort and filter data to get the information you need.

• Functions: In Excel, you can quickly calculate information using functions such as SUMIF, COUNTIF, and VLOOKUP.

• Charts and graphs: Present data in a visual way by building charts and graphs in Excel to communicate data and concepts visually.

• Pivot tables: Pivot tables can help you work with big data sets to summarize and analyze information.

Workplace skills such as adaptability, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate with other team members and clients can help you be successful in your Excel career.

Step 5: Include your professional experience.

Your previous experience can provide examples of the work you’ve done and the skills you’ve acquired that can make you an appealing candidate for potential employers.

Start with the names of your previous employers and when you worked there. Then you can add the title of your position and what you did while working in that position. Remember to include your responsibilities and how you used Excel to be successful. It’s also important to include projects you completed and tangible accomplishments.

Step 6: Feature your certifications and awards.

Add a section for certifications if you have any credentials relevant to your work with Excel. You can earn certifications from Microsoft, such as the Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate (Office 2019) or Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Expert (Office 2019). Certifications like these can prove your proficiency and expertise with the software. Some employers could also require certifications depending on the particular position.

You can also include accolades such as innovation awards or industry awards for your work with Excel.

Step 7: Include your education.

Your education is important for potential employers to consider, whether you’ve just graduated or have some work experience. This section can highlight your degree and major, the school you graduated from, and any other relevant education information.

Jobs that require Excel skills

You can choose from a variety of jobs that require Excel skills or Excel certifications that appeal to your talents, interests, or previous experience. The jobs below reflect options in different fields and salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Accountant: $79,880 [1]

• Financial analyst: $99,890 [2]

• Human resources specialist: $67,650 [3]

• Marketing research analyst: $74,680 [4]

• Project management specialist: $98,580 [5]

Key takeaways

• Choose a format that best suits your experience and skills with Excel.

• Include important information such as education, experience, certifications, and how to reach you.

• Tailor your resume to match the description of the job you’re applying for.

• Limit the length of your resume.

Learn more about Excel on Coursera

Learn how to use Excel or boost your resume with certificates that can highlight your experience with Excel and make your resume more appealing to potential employers.

Learn more about Excel by taking Excel Skills for Data Analytics and Visualization Specialization with Macquarie University on Coursera. The three-course series covers Excel fundamentals for data analysis, data visualization in Excel, and Excel power tools for data analysis. 

You can also earn an IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate with IBM on Coursera, which covers learning how to perform data analysis, including data preparation, statistical analysis, and predictive modeling using R, R Studio, and Jupyter.